Salvage apparatus



Oct. 12, 1948- M. J. STURTEVANT 2,451,002

SALVAGE APPARATUS Filed June '19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lo l6 FIG. I

INVENTOR, 8 MARK J. STURTEVANT ATTORN'EY M. J. STURTEVANT SALVAGE APPARATUS Oct. '12, 1943.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1946 mmvrox. STU RTEVANT ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 12, 1948 SALVAGE APPARATUS Mark J. Sturtevant, Akron, Ohio, assignor to Wing oot Corporatiom Akron, hio, a corporation of Delaware Application June 19, 1946, Serial No. 677,851

19 Claims. I

The present invention relates to salvage devices used particularly for raising submerged vessels, cargo and the like, and it is a primary object of the invention to provide a device which can be readilycontrolled to give the desired lift on all portions-of the-ship whereby all portions thereof will be lifted at substantially the same rate.

Anotherobject of this invention is to provide an inflatable container adapted to be attached to thehull of a ship under water and then inflatedto lift the-hull, the container being provided with means to automatically cause partial deflation of the container when the rate of rise of the container'exceeds that desired.

A further object of this invention is to control the escape of air from the device by a balanced valve which is so acted upon by the force-of the water outside and the air inside as to equalize their resulting tendencies to open or close the valve regardless of the depth at which the device-is submerged.

Other objects of theinvention will appear hereinas the description of the invention proceeds, thenovel features, arrangements and combinations of parts being more clearly pointed out in the specification and the claims thereunto appended.

In the drawings:

Fig, 1 is a vertical. elevation partly in section, showing one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 isa vertical cross section through the valvethatcontrols the escape of the air from the device;

Fig.3 is an enlarged vertical cross section showinga detail of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig; 5 isa cross section taken substantially along the line 5.5 of Fig. 3.

A number of'the devices to be more fully describedherein are usually attached to a sunken vessel and then inflated to effect raising thereof. Sometimes in devices of this character one portion of 'theship may move upwardly at a greater rate than others. This may be due to inequalities of the buoyancy'of the containers or to the fact that the load is notevenlydistributed or to the fact thatoneportion of the ship is stuck in the mud at the bottom and resists the lifting effect of the devices on thatportion. Whatever the cause, it is desirable to eliminate this non-uniform lifting effect and, to this end,the devices are provided with valves which let air out to reduce bouyancy when the rate of rise of the ship exceeds that desired. In order-to accomplish this -result, 1- proshown, is a drogue or inverted parachute.

the salvage device rises in the water, the drag 2 vide the container with a valve so constructed that, regardless of the depth to which the device is submerged, the adjusted pressure on the valve will remain the same and the valve will open under a predetermined force. vided by a drag member which, in the form here As member tends to be retarded by the water and, when the drag becomes suflicient to open the valve (which occurs when the speed of rise exceeds the desired speed), the air is released from the device and water enters the container at the bottom, thus reducing the lift. The device then slows down and the valve again closes.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, this device comprises an inflatable container designated generally at I. This container is preferably made of rubberized fabric and, while its .shape is not material to the present invention, it is preferred to form this container with a substantially spherical top portion and a contiguous lower conical portion which has an openingZ at the lower end thereof. This opening is preferably reinforced by a metal ring 3 and thestraps 4 secured to the ring 3 carry a plate 5 attached thereto at the lower end to which is secured. a vertically extending rod 6 on the lower'end .of which is a clevis 1' or similar device to whicha cable 8-or the like may be attached. Thiscable is adapted to be connected to the load 9 which, in the present invention, would be the vessel or other submerged object which is to be raised. It is understood that the parts i andil are merely. selected as examples of means that may be used for connecting the salvage device to the object which is to be raised and it is tov be understood that other means may be used for this purpose.

In order to control the lift of this salvage container, I provided an inlet valve ill and a relief valve H. The valve [0 is an ordinary air valve permitting the entrance of air into the container and preventing escape of the air therefrom. This is supplied with air through a flexible conduit I2 which in turn is connected to a pipe T It. This pipe T is connected to the top of the valve H by a member M. The only purpose of the member I4 is for'attach-ing the T to a valve I I so that it will be supported thereby. As will be evident from an inspectionof Fig. 2, there is actually no passage through the member M so that air does not pass into thevalve H from the conduit I5 which is usually connected to a surface vessel by a flexible hose'which supplies air to the container I. By the arrangement which has just been described,

This force is pro 3 it will brsc-en that any pull on the connection l5 will be transmitted to the centrally located valve l i and not to the eccentrically arranged valve Hi. This arrangement is primarily for the purpose of preventing injury to the container in the event a pull is exerted on the conduit l5.

Without going into the details of the construction of the valve l i, it is suflicient to say for the present that the valve H is a balanced valve in which the closing pressure can be adjusted to any degree desired and, regardless of the depth to which this container is submerged, the valve will always have the same closing pressure. This is an important feature of this invention for it makes it possible to open the valve with a predetermined amount of effort. In the present instance, it is desired to open the valve when the rate of rise of the container in a body of water exceeds the rate desired. The need for this action has been set forth previously in the beginning of this specification.

Attached to what will be refered to as the valve disc I5 is a cable l'l having an extension link it therein in the form of a turnbuckle. This cable is protected at its lower end by a sheath of rubber l9. At the lower end of the cable is attached a plate carrying three depending rods 2! guided in the plate 5 and attached at their lower ends to the plate 22. The plate 22 has the inner periphery of an inverted parachute 23 attached thereto as at 24. The outer edge of the parachute has upwardly extending portions 25 which, in turn, are connected by straps 25 secured to the outer surface of the container l. The connection between the straps 26 with the portions 25 of the parachute is accomplished by means of snapfasteners 21, although any suitable means may be employed for this purpose.

The operation of the device so far described will now be explained. The container 1, while in a deflated condition, is submerged and attached by the cable 8 to the vessel or other object which is to be raised. Air is then supplied to the container through the conduit l5 with the desired quantity of air. It will be understood that, in lifting large bodies, a number of these devices are employed and if one has more air in than another or carries a diiierent load, a portion of the object which is to be raised will be moved upwardly at a greater rate of speed than other portions. If the rate of riseexceeds a predetermined amount, the drag exerted by the parachute 23 will be sufiicient to open the valve disc [6 and permit the escape of air, thus decreasing the lift of the container and slowing down its rate of rise. When the rate of rise decreases, the value disc will close again. Any form of means may be employed to impart the drag to the cable IT, although the inverted parachute type is preferred,

For the sake of illustration, there is indicated in Fig. 1 aquantity of water in the container. This has been shown merely to illustrate that the water tends to rise in the container to a level determined by the quantity of air therein and it will be understood that the water is not held within the container permanently as the container is open at the bottom. It is to be borne in mind that, as illustrated, the container is considered as being completely submerged.

Referring now particularly to the valve structure shown in Fig. 2, there is shown a casing or body portion which comprises a lower flat plate 28 and an upper plate 29 which is convex upwardly at the centralportion thereof. The two plates 28 and 29 are connected by posts 30 which comprise studs or bolts suitably provided with means for holding the plates in spaced relation. The valve disc I6 is adapted to close the central opening 3| in the plate 28 and thus seal the container l. Around the lip of the opening 3| is provided a gasket 32 to effect a tight seal between the plate 28 and the valve disc l6. A diaphragm 33 which is of a flexible material such as rubber or rubberized fabric is attached to the edges of the plate 29 to form with the plate 29 a chamber which is designated generally by the reference character 35. A hollow spindle bridges the space between the diaphragm 33 and the valve disc l5 and the central opening 35 therethrough permits the passage of air between the interior of the container I and the chamber 34 so that the pressures will be equalized. The valve disc l6 and diaphragm 33 are so designed that the effective areas to which the pressures are applied will be substantially the same. The total pressure of the air on the diaphragm 33 which tends to move the valve spindle 35 downward sub stantially equals the pressure within the container I acting on the valve disc 16 to move it upward. Therefore, these pressures have their effect neutralized. The water pressure exteriorly of the bag is also neutralized as the upward presv sure on diaphragm 33 is applied to approximately the same area as that to which pressure is applied on the valve disc I6. As a result, the pressure of the air in the container and the pressure of the water will not cause movement of the valve in either direction, regardless of the depth at which this device is operating. Therefore, by providing a supplemental positive means for imparting a closing pressure on the valve, that closing pressure will remain the same at all times. In order to accomplish this result, I provide a plate 3'! which is connected to the studs 30 and held rigidly with respect thereto by suitable lock nuts. The central portion of the plate 31 is provided with a boss 38 which is threaded externally and provided with a nut 39 having a set screw 40 which may be used to lock the nut 39 in adjusted position on the boss 38. The

' diaphragm 33 is clamped to the spindle 35 by the head ll and a nut 42. A spring 43 abuts at its opposite ends against the head 4| and the nut 39. This spring, therefore, urges the spindle 35 upwardly to close the opening 3| by means of the diaphragm I6 with a predetermined pressure determined by the adjustment of the nut 39. This adjustment can be made as sensitive as desired and the particular means for accomplishing this result is not important. The essential point is that the valve is balanced so that the predetermined setting of the closing pressure on the diaphragm It will remain the same regardless of the depth to which the salvage device is submerged. The valve H is attached to the container l by suitable bolts 44 passing through the plate 28 on one side of the fabric and an annular plate 45 on the other side of the fabric. Such means is well-known in the art of attachin valves to inflatable containers.

In use, the uninflated container is submerged, attached to the object to be raised and then inflated. After the initial inflation, it is preferable to have a continuous supply of air flowing into the chamber to be assured that maximum lift will be maintained. In such an arrangement, the

valve disc 16 opens and closes frequently to maintain the required lift, 7

The embodiment of the invention as shown in I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of v the United States is:

1. A salvage device for raising submerged objects from a body of water comprising an air chamber open at the underside thereof, normally closed valve means at the upper side thereof for preventing escape of air therefrom, and actuating means connected to said valve arranged in a position to be retarded sufiiciently by the water \vhenthe rise of said container in a body of water is at a rate exceeding that desired, to thereby cause opening of said valve to release air from said chamber to decrease the buoyancy thereof.

2. A salvage device for raising submerged objects from a body of water comprising an air chamber open at the underside thereof, normally closed valve means at the upper side thereof for preventing escape of air therefrom, and actuating means connected to said valve arranged in 'a position to be retarded sufiiciently by the water when the rise of said container in a body of water is at a rate exceeding that desired, to thereby cause opening of said valve to release air from said chamber to decrease the buoyancy thereof, said chamber being of flexible material.

A salvage device for raisin submerged ob jects from a body of water comprising an air chamber open at the underside thereof, normally closed valve means at the upper side thereof for preventing escape of air therefrom, actuating means connected to said valve arranged in a position to be retarded sufficiently by the Water when the rise of said container in a body of water is at a rate exceeding that desired, to thereby cause opening of said valve to release air from said chamber to decrease the buoyancy thereof, said chamber being of flexible material, and means for conveying air to said chamber while the chamber is submerged.

i. A salvage device for raising submerged ob jects from a body of water comprising an air chamber open at the underside thereof, normally closed valve means at the upper side thereof for preventing escape of air therefrom, and actuating means connected to said valve arranged in a position to be retarded sufficiently by the water when the rise of said container in a body of water is at a rate exceeding that desired, to thereby cause opening of said valve to release air from said chamber to decrease the buoyanc thereof, said actuating means comprising a drogue,

5. A device for raising submerged objects in a body of water comprising an inflatable container open at the lower side thereof, a valve at the upper side of said container, means for holding said valve closed, including means to adjust the adjusted differential closing pressure on said valve, actuating means extending through said opening and connected to said valve to open same, and drogue means outside said container connected to said actuating means and positioned to exert a pull on said actuating means proportionate to the rate of rise in a body of water whereby when the rate of rise exceeds a predetermined rate, the force of the water acting on said drogue will be sufiicient to open said valve to release air from the container and thus decrease the rate of rise.

6. A device for raising submerged objects in a body of water comprising an inflatable container open at the lower side thereof, a valve at the upper side of said container, means for holding said valve closed, including means to adjust the net differential closing pressure on said valve, ac tuating means extending through said opening and connected to said valve to open same, and a drogue outside said container connected to said actuating means and positioned to exert a pull on said actuating means proportionate to the rate of rise in a body of water whereby when the rate of rise exceeds a predetermined rate, the force of the water acting on said drogue will be sufficient to open said valve to release air from the container and thus decrease the rate of rise, said drogue comprising an inverted parachute.

7. A device for raising submerged objects in a body of water comprising an inflatable container open at the lower side thereof, a valve at the upper side of said container, means for holding said valve closed, including means to adjust the adjusted differential closing pressure on said valve, actuating means ext nding through said opening and connected to said valve to open same, and a drogue outside said container connected to said actuating means and positioned to exert a pull on said actuating means proportionate to the rate of rise in a body of water whereby when the rate of rise exceeds a predetermined rate, the force of the water actin on said drogue will be sufficient to open said valve to release air from the container and thus decrease the rate of rise, said drogue comprising an inverted parachute the outer edges of which are suspended from the walls of said container and the central portion of which is connected to said actuating means for said valve.

8. A salvage bag comprising an inverted waterproof fabric container having openings at the top and bottom thereof, a valve in the upper opening for closing it, adjustable means to hold the valve in closed position, actuating means for said valve to open same on too rapid a rise of said container in a body of water comprising an inverted parachute beneath said opening in the lower end, suspension means connected to said container near the upper end thereof and to the outer edges of the parachute, and means connecting the valve with the central portion of said parachute.

9. A device set forth in claim 8 in which the valve connecting means is guided by means suspended from the lower side of said container.

10. A device as set forth in claim 8 in which the valve connecting means is guided by a load supporting member suspended from the lower side of said container.

11. A device of the class described comprising a container open at the bottom, a valve near the top for releasing air from said container, a load connecting element suspended centrally beneath said container, an inverted parachutelike drogue open at the center and suspended at the edges from the container, load connecting member passing through said open center of the parachute and means for connecting said valve with the central portion of said parachute-like drogue.

12. A device of the class described comprising a container open at the bottom, a valve near the top for releasing air from said container, a load connecting element suspended centrally beneath said container, an inverted parachute-like drogue open at the center and suspended at the edges from the container, said load connecting member passing through said open center of the parachute, and means for connecting said valve with the central portion of said parachute-like drogue comprising a plate spanning said central opening and connected to the edges thereof and a cable virtually connected to the center of the drogue and to said valve.

13. A device of the class described comprising a container open at the bottom, a Valve near the top for releasing air from said container, a load connecting element suspended centrally beneath said container, an inverted parachute-like drogue open at the center and suspended at the outer edges from the container, said load connecting member passing through said open center of the drogue, and means for connecting said valve with the central portion of said drogue, said plate being guided on said load connecting element.

14. A salvage device to be immersed in water to raise sunken objects comprising a flexible inflatable container, a valve on the wall of said container at one side thereof through which air may be introduced into said container, said container having an opening at the top thereof, a valve body secured to the edge of said opening, a second valve on said valve body for closing the said opening, a conduit connected to said body extending upwardly therefrom through which air is supplied from a source of supply, a flexible conduit connection between said first conduit to said first valve for supplying air to said container, and actuating means connected to said second valve for opening said valve and so positioned as to be retarded by the water in which said container is immersed whereby when the rate of rise of said container in said water is greater than desired the valve will be retarded sufliciently to open said second valve.

15. A salvage device comprising a container, a valve for releasing air from said container, adjustable means for normally holding the valve closed with a predetermined selected pressure, said valve having two surfaces exposed at all times respectively to the air in the container and the fluid outside said contained whereby a pressure is exerted on the valve in one direction by the pressure of the fluid within the container and in the opposite direction by the pressure of the fluid outside said container, the surfaces being of a size such that the respective areas are substantially equal, whereby the only effective pressure for holding the valve on its seat is that created by the pressure of said adjustable means, and actuating means operable to open said valve against the force of said adjustable means when the rate of rise of said container is greater than desired.

16. A salvage device comprising a container having an opening, a valve in said opening for releasing air from said container, said valve comprising a body portion connected to the edges of said opening and having a chamber exteriorly of said container, a flexible diaphragm closing one side of said chamber, a valve closing said opening and connected to said diaphragm, a passage connecting said chamber with the interior of said container at all times whereby the air pressure within the container and chamber, respectively, are substantially equalized at all times, said valve and diaphragm being arranged to be urged in opposite directions by th pressure of the air in said chamber and container, adjustable means for imparting additional pressure to said valve to yieldingly urge said valve into a closed position, and means for actuating said valve against the force of said adjustable means in a direction to open said valve when the rate of rise of said container in a fluid body exceeds that rate desired.

1'7. A salvage device to be immersed in a fluid to raise sunken objects comprising a flexible and collapsible inflatable container, a valve on the wall of said container at one side thereof through which air may be introduced into said container, said container having an opening at the upper side thereof, a second valve having a valve body secured to the material of said container at the edge of said opening, a second valve on said valve body for closing said opening, a conduit, connected to but not in communication with said body, extending upwardly therefrom through which air is supplied from a source of supply, and a flexible extension for said first conduit in communication therewith and with said first valve for supplying air to said container, whereby the stress on said first conduit is not imparted to said second conduit nor to said container.

18. A salvage device for raising submerged objects from a body of water comprising an air chamber, normally closed valve means thereon for normally preventing the escape of air therefrom, and actuating means operatively connected to said valve and arranged in a position to be retarded by the water when the rise of said container in a body of water is at a rate exceeding that desired, to thereby cause opening of said valve to release air from said chamber to decrease the buoyancy thereof.

19. A salvage device for raising submerged objects from a body of water comprising an air chamber, normally closed valve means for preventing the escape of air therefrom, said device having means normally holding said valve means closed with a predetermined pressure, and means associated with said valve for causing an increase of the effective pressure on said valve in a direction to open said valve and to the extent the valve will open when the rate of rise of said container in a body of water exceeds that desired, to thereby cause a release of air from said chamber to decrease the buoyancy thereof.

MARK J. STURTEVANT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,332,433 Deam Mar. 2, 1940 2,338,597 Pleak Jan. 4, 1944 2,363,488 Bartlett Nov. 28, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 495,146 France June 19, 1919 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,451,002. October 12, 1948.

MARK J. STURTEVANT It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 3, line 57, for the word value read valve; column 6, line 52, claim 9,

before set insert as; column 7, line 46, claim 15, for contained read container;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of June, A. Di 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommisaz'oner of Patents. 

